# AI in travel and dining: what the 2026 numbers say

> A round-up of 2026 surveys and data on how people use AI to choose hotels and restaurants, with the caveats you need to read them properly.

_UK and US · Updated 2026-11-02 · Akkrev, https://akkrev.com/ai-seo/ai-travel-and-dining-trends-2026/_

## Key points

- **45% of US consumers** used AI for a local business recommendation in the past year, up from 6% (BrightLocal, 2026).
- **31%** had used ChatGPT and **23%** Google's AI Mode for a business recommendation.
- **22% of US consumers** had used AI to help choose a restaurant (DoorDash, 2026).
- AI traffic to hotel websites grew **almost 200%** from March to August 2026, and **287%** in the UK.
- Most AI users **still check reviews** before deciding. AI makes the shortlist, reviews close the deal.

AI is now a normal part of how people choose where to eat and stay. The clearest figure comes from BrightLocal's 2026 survey of 1,002 US adults: **45% had used an AI tool to get a local business recommendation** in the past year, up from 6% the year before. This page rounds up the most useful 2026 numbers for hotels, restaurants and cafés, with notes on how to read them.

## Local businesses in general

- **45%** of US consumers used AI for a local business recommendation in the past year, up from **6%** (BrightLocal, 1,002 US adults, 2026).
- **31%** had used ChatGPT and **23%** Google's AI Mode for a business recommendation.
- AI is now the **third most used** source for local recommendations, behind Google and Facebook, and ahead of Yelp and TripAdvisor.
- **97%** of those AI users at least sometimes check the answer against real reviews.

## Restaurants

- **22% of US consumers** had used an AI tool such as ChatGPT or Gemini to help choose a restaurant (DoorDash, survey of 3,001 US consumers, March 2026).
- **35%** said an AI recommendation had led them to a new restaurant they then visited or ordered from (Menufy and Dynata, 1,000 US consumers, September 2026).
- **80%** said they'd try an independent restaurant they didn't know if AI recommended it (same survey).

## Hotels and travel

- AI traffic to hotel websites grew **almost 200%** from March to August 2026, with the UK up **287%** (Net Affinity and Smarthotel AI Barometer).
- **84%** of US leisure travellers surveyed said a trusted AI recommendation would make them more likely to book a specific hotel (TakeUp, 300 respondents, January 2026).

## How to read these

Several of these studies were commissioned by companies that sell to hotels and restaurants, and sample sizes vary. The direction is consistent, though: AI is now part of how people choose where to stay and eat, and it favours places it can describe well.

## What to do with these numbers

If you are wondering whether this affects your venue, read [should hotels and restaurants worry about AI search](https://akkrev.com/ai-seo/should-hotels-and-restaurants-worry-about-ai-search/). For what actually gets a place named, see [what the research says](https://akkrev.com/ai-seo/what-gets-recommended-by-ai-research/).

## Questions

### Are people using ChatGPT to find restaurants?

Yes. DoorDash found 22% of US consumers had used an AI tool such as ChatGPT or Gemini to help choose a restaurant, and BrightLocal found 31% had used ChatGPT for a local business recommendation in the past year.

### Do people ask ChatGPT for hotel recommendations?

Increasingly. AI-driven traffic to hotel websites grew almost 200% between March and August 2026 according to Net Affinity and Smarthotel, and 287% in the UK.

### Do diners use ChatGPT instead of Yelp?

More often alongside it. BrightLocal found AI is now used for local recommendations more than Yelp or TripAdvisor, but 97% of AI users at least sometimes check reviews before deciding.

### Should restaurants worry about AI search in 2026?

Enough to check what AI says about them. AI names only a few places per question, so restaurants that are left out lose diners without seeing it in their analytics.

## Sources

- [BrightLocal: Local Consumer Review Survey 2026, AI trust release](https://www.brightlocal.com/research/lcrs-ai-trust/)
- [DoorDash Restaurant Industry Trends Report, May 2026](https://about.doordash.com/en-us/news/doordash-restaurant-industry-trends-report-2026)
- [Menufy and Dynata survey via FSR Magazine, September 2026](https://www.fsrmagazine.com/industry-news/how-ai-is-influencing-independent-restaurant-dining-decisions/)
- [TakeUp: The Rise of AI-Planned Travel in 2026, via Hotel Management](https://www.hotelmanagement.net/tech/report-ai-planned-travel-surges-2026-growth-still-ahead)
- [Net Affinity and Smarthotel AI Barometer, September 2026](https://www.ittn.com/post/ai-reshapes-hotel-booking-journey-as-traveller-traffic-surges)

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